The rule of saynt Augustyne, bothe in latyn and englysshe, with two exposicyons. And also the same rule agayn onely in englysshe without latyn or exposicyon The tra[n]slatour doth aduyse [and] cou[n]seyll all the disciples of this rule to bere alway one of these bokes upo[n] them syth they ben so portatyue, [and] may be had for so small a pryce.

Saynt Hugh.

¶ All though y^e soueraynes do byleue the complaynt of the seke subiectes / yet may they not anone leyne & graūt vnto theyr desyres & appetytes. For vnlawfull desyres done oftentymes assayle & tempt y^e seruaūtes of god. Therfore yf ye be not sure / let the phisycyon be axed / let hym iudge & make certayn / that before was vncertayne. And let no persone meruayle y^t religyous {per}sones shold axe the coūseyle of phisyke / syth we may take of scripture y^t saynt Paule vsed & gaue counseyle of phisyke.* 1.1 Modico vino vtere / propter stomachū &c. Vse (sayth he vnto his disciple Timothey) a lytel wy¦ne / for thy stomacke / & for thy many & besy dyseases. So the discrete mayster tempered y^e rygour of absty∣nence / & ordred his discyple y^t his diseases & passyons sholde not let nor hyndre his holy prechynge & better dedes. For all though it were good for his discyple to rendre of his infirmytees the fruyte of pacience / yet y^e apostle perceyued it was more {pro}fytable to take medi∣cyne / & so to be able to do suche werkes as might pro∣fyte

other soules. Let religyous {per}sones therfore cōfor¦ted by this auctorite take bodyly medicyne (whā nede is) that they therby may be y^e more able to serue god & do theyr duty.* 1.2 The lettre. Ne{que} eant ad balnea / siue quocū{que} ire necesse fuerit:* 1.3 min{us} {quam} duo vel tres / nec ille qui habet aliquā eūdi necessitatē: cū qbus ipse volue∣rit: sed cū qbus prepositus iusserit / ire debet. That is. And whan so euer they go vnto the bayne / or wheder so euer they nede to go / let them be no lesse in nombre than twayne or thre persones: nor yet those {per}sones y^t hath nede to go forth / shall go w^t whome they wolde / but they shall go w^t suche as the souerayne wyll com∣maūde or appoynt. Here ye may perceyue he ordreth al thynges vnto obedience. And here also doth appere that I spake of before / that is to say / for what cause y^e disciples of this rule may go forth abrode out of theyr monastery. The cause is set forth in y^e lettre. For very necessite & nede vnfeyned. And els may they neuer go forth. The nede (I shewed you) is bodyly nede: ergo for nede of the soule they may the rather go forth / but neuer alone / bycause of testimony of theyr guydyng & behauyour / whyle they ben forth / nor yet w^t whome they wyll / to exclude all suspicyon and affeccyon / but with whome the souerayn cōmaūdeth / to ordre them euer vnto obedience. Take hede now vnto your

Notes

• * 1.1

  j. Tim̄. v.
• * 1.2

  〈…〉〈…〉aln••••••.
• * 1.3

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••minus {quam} •…•…res.